FOR THE BIRDS: Mass Audubon’s Focus on Feeders’ this weekend

You pass them every day and maybe you offer a nod of recognition, but it usually doesn’t get beyond that.

You rationalize that you’re too busy, too much on your mind. If you had the time, you’d take the time to get to know them.

Frank Mand

You pass them every day and maybe you offer a nod of recognition, but it usually doesn’t get beyond that.

You rationalize that you’re too busy, too much on your mind. If you had the time, you’d take the time to get to know them.

But unless they’re right there on the back porch or perched on the sill as you absentmindedly gaze out the window in the morning, coffee in hand, you hardly give a second thought to the thousands of birds with whom you share your square footage.

From the Rodney Dangerfield of birds – the Crows (#15 on the accompanying chart) that get no respect – to the official state bird, the black capped chickadee (#29), you live amongst a colorful, ever-changing tapestry of winged creatures that for the most part are as indifferent to your comings and goings as you are to theirs.

But not this weekend.

Feb. 4 and 5, you, along with thousands of other humans of various levels of aviary interest and awareness, will deliberately take notice of these distant descendants, some say, of the dinosaurs.

This is the weekend that Mass Audubon has christened “Focus on Feeders” and whether you deliberately court close encounters or just occasionally take note of their presence, this weekend is dedicated to a greater awareness – for personal and scientific reasons – of the number and varieties of birds in your backyard.

Don’t mark this on your calendar. You’re not going anywhere.

If your big plan for this weekend was do nothing, great. Sleep a little longer if you like, and when you get up you don’t even have to shave or blow dry your hair.

As you sit at the kitchen table, or on the couch watching cartoons, just grab a pencil and paper – and your camera, too, if you like – and casually look out the window and see, well, see what you can see.

They’re out there, you know.

No, they don’t respond to the remote control.

They’re not in HD or 3D.

They live practically on top of you but they could give a hoot what you do.

The northern cardinals (22) don’t care. They’re too busy. To their credit, at least, they always seem to travel everywhere together. (He’s the really red one, and she’s a bit more demure, color-wise.)

A flash of red though and, almost without realizing it, you have gotten up out of your seat and moved closer to the window.

And who’s that agile little predator?

According to the Mass Audubon’s Breeding Bird Atlas, the pretty little “sharp-shinned hawk” (16) is often found near winter birdfeeders.”

Not for the seed mind you, but for the prey.

You didn’t realize there could be so much drama in your backyard, did you?

You thought you weren’t going to go out today but suddenly you’re outside, trying not to breathe too loudly but having to catch your breath at the speed and beauty of this miniature hawk as it gracefully attacks.

And now you’re into it. Now you’re in deep.

The mourning dove (25) on the wire above you acknowledges your distress.

White-throated sparrows (26), hidden somewhere in the thickets, make an equally mournful sound.

But the crows don’t seem too sympathetic to your plight and laugh raucously.

You’re a stranger in a strange land, but it’s your backyard, isn’t it?

Did you bring the pad and pencil? Camera?

Maybe what you should do before you look out that window is go to the Mass Audubon’s site for this event (www.massaudubon.org/Birds_and_Birding/FoF/)

Here are the basics.

Anyone can participate – new bird watchers as well as more experienced birders.

All you have to do .is keep a list of the birds you see at your bird feeder or in your yard (the greatest number of each species you see at any one time).

Then send in your bird counts in one of two ways. Enter them into an online form at www.massaudubon.org/Birds_and_Birding/FoF/ReportForm.php or download and print the online Focus on Feeders bird count form and mail it to the address on the form

You can also enter any photos you take into the Focus on Feeders Photo Contest.

Still not convinced?

Consider it reality TV, of a sort.

Spy on that colorful family of finches (18), take revealing videos of those voracious grosbeaks (19), mock the mockingbirds (21) and tease the truth from the tufted titmouse (23) and, in doing so, get off your butt and out into the, well, backyard or thereabouts.

You might even consider this as a family event. Get everyone involved, including that creature with the video game controller permanently attached to his thumbs.

Make it a game; make it a contest; make it a date!

And share what you see – lists or comments or pictures – with us, too. Send them by mail or email (to fmand@wickedlocal.com) or post them with your comments on our Facebook page.

This weekend at least, lets make it clear that Massachusetts is for the birds.

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